City Sues Apartment Complex Owner Over Violations

NORTH AUSTIN-PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- City officials are suing the owners of an apartment complex--one of several listed in its “repeat offender” registry--for a number of infractions, including not providing hot water for its tenants since last June.

The city was prompted to file for an injunction against the landlord after receiving numerous complaints from tenants at the Cross Creek Apartments at 1124 Rutland Dr., according to a report by KXAN-TV.

Since the initial inspection, code compliance officers subsequently followed up 13 more times in the course of six months only to find the hot water issue was still unresolved. Inspectors also issued citations for other violations at the apartment complex, including broken passageways, damaged exterior walls, missing gutters, deteriorated stairways and broken windows, according to the report.

Even before the violations recorded last year, the complex had landed in the “repeat offenders” list in 2014.

The injunction is sought on the premise that the complex is “dangerous” and a “threat to the public safety, health and welfare” of its residents, according to the injunction.

The lawsuit lists TMG-TX, TMG Management, Noelle Affordable Housing Corp. the Mulholland Group and Royce A. Mulholland as either owners or controlling members of the Cross Creek Apartments--comprising 18 buildings with about 200 units.

The owners of the complex now face fines of $1,000 per day for each violation until the deficiencies are fixed.